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瀰 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
瀰mǐto overflow, to flood; to disseminatezg, 20 strokes, radical 氵
mǐ(mi3) T3
  1. 1to overflow, to flood; to disseminate
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March 24, 2026

瀰mǐ(mi3)

The character 瀰 (mǐ) primarily means to overflow or flood, often in the context of water or liquid. It can also imply the idea of disseminating information or ideas widely. This character is used in both literal and metaphorical contexts, such as describing floods or the spread of news.

Strokes20Radical氵
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the concept of flooding is significant, often symbolizing both natural disasters and the overabundance of information in the digital age. The character is relevant in discussions about environmental issues and modern communication.

Memory Tip

Think of 瀰 as a river (the water radical氵) overflowing its banks, causing a flood. The pronunciation 'mǐ' can be remembered by associating it with 'me' (as in 'me and my friends are flooded with information') — a vivid image of too much information flowing around.

Meanings of 瀰

mǐ(mi3)
1to overflow, to flood; to disseminate
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 瀰

瀰Simplified
20Strokes
氵Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 瀰

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Podcast: 瀰

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AI Study Notes for 瀰

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 瀰 with similar-sounding characters. It is generally used in more formal contexts when discussing floods or dissemination. Common collocations include 瀰漫 (mímàn, to spread widely) and 瀰水 (mǐshuǐ, to spill water).

HSK Study Tips

Although 瀰 is not included in HSK levels, it connects to HSK 5 vocabulary related to water and communication. Focus on the radicals and compounds associated with water to better understand its use in different contexts.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 瀰 with 漫 (màn, to overflow) due to similar meanings. For example, using 漫 in place of 瀰 in the context of disseminating information would be incorrect; instead, use 瀰 when discussing the spread of news.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 瀰

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Etymology of 瀰

Formation TypeIdeographic 指事
六书 ClassificationIdeograph (指事字)~2% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 弓 represents the meaning and 尔 represents the sound. Simplified form of 彌.

Memory Hint

Water 氵 everywhere 彌; 彌 also provides the pronunciation

Learn more about Ideograph (指事字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 瀰

Phonosemantic compound. 弓 represents the meaning and 尔 represents the sound. Simplified form of 彌.

  1. 1The giveawayWater 氵 everywhere 彌; 彌 also provides the pronunciation
  2. 2On the record asideographic — someone drew an idea rather than an object.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 瀰? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 瀰?

Decomposition of 瀰

IDS Structure⿰氵彌
瀰Full Character
=
氵shui3
left
彌mi2
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 瀰?

How to say to overflow, to flood; to disseminate in Chinese

“to overflow, to flood; to disseminate” in Chinese is瀰mǐ

The character 瀰 (mǐ) primarily means to overflow or flood, often in the context of water or liquid. It can also imply the idea of disseminating information or ideas widely. This character is used in both literal and metaphorical contexts, such as describing floods or the spread of news.

When to use 瀰

Be careful not to confuse 瀰 with similar-sounding characters. It is generally used in more formal contexts when discussing floods or dissemination. Common collocations include 瀰漫 (mímàn, to spread widely) and 瀰水 (mǐshuǐ, to spill water).

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 瀰 with 漫 (màn, to overflow) due to similar meanings. For example, using 漫 in place of 瀰 in the context of disseminating information would be incorrect; instead, use 瀰 when discussing the spread of news.

Write 瀰

瀰

Practice writing 瀰 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 瀰

Words Containing This Character19
弥补míbǔto complement彌補
弥mífull彌
弥漫mímànto pervade彌漫
阿弥陀佛Amitabha Buddha阿彌陀佛
弥撒(Catholic) Mass彌撒
弥赛亚Messiah彌賽亞
弥散to dissipate everywhere (of light, sound, gas etc)彌散
弥勒Mile county in Honghe Hani and Yi autonomous prefecture, Yunnan彌勒
弥留seriously ill and about to die彌留
弥合to cause a wound to close up and heal彌合
弥陀abbr. for 阿彌陀佛|阿弥陀佛彌陀
欲盖弥彰trying to hide it makes it more conspicuous (idiom); A cover up only makes matters worse.欲蓋彌彰
须弥Mt Meru or Sumeru, sacred mountain in Buddhist and Jain tradition須彌
弥留之际on one's deathbed彌留之際
弥勒佛Maitreya彌勒佛
沙弥novice Buddhist monk沙彌
弥足珍贵valuable彌足珍貴
弥天filling the entire sky彌天
弥天大谎a pack of lies (idiom)彌天大謊
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 弥补 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 瀰

Synonyms include 泛 (fàn, to spread) and 漫 (màn, to overflow).

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